The present invention relates to a photosensitive recording medium and method and apparatus for recording images employing the same, and more particularly to a photosensitive recording medium for forming an image through reaction of a dye precursor with a developer material and method and apparatus for recording images employing such a photosensitive recording medium.
Method of forming images through interaction between a photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium and a developer medium are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 61-137749, 61-143738, and 61-173981, for example. According to the disclosed methods, light having image information is applied to a photosensitive pressure-sensitive recording medium which is coated with microcapsules encapsulating a dye precursor and is variable in mechanical strength in response to light. The photosensitive pressure-sensitive recording medium that has been exposed to the light is then pressed against a developer medium that has been shipped as a product by a maker such as a paper manufacturer. Those microcapsules which remain unexposed and hence weaker in mechanical strength are now ruptured under pressure, allowing the dye precursor to flow out and react with a developer material on the developer medium, whereupon an image is formed on the developer medium. The developer medium is prepared by dispersing a developer material in an aqueous solution and then coating the dispersion on a desired medium.
As described above, the formation of a colored image through the photosensitive pressure-sensitive recording medium requires a developer medium carrying a developer material. Developer mediums include two types, that is, an existing developer medium which is prepared by the maker and a developer medium which is prepared by coating with developer material on a desired support in a recording apparatus. The former existing developer medium is coated on its entire surface with the developer material, and hence does not let the user have a developer medium which would be coated with the developer material in only a desired area. The latter developer medium produced by coating on the support with a dispersion comprising developer material particles dispersed in an aqueous solution. It is however difficult from the standpoint of maintenance of the recording apparatus to coat the developer material in a wet fashion on only a desired area on the support in the recording apparatus.
Another problem is that when a white area on an original to be copied is formed as a latent image on a photosensitive pressure-sensitive medium and then the image is developed under pressure in close contact with a developer medium, an area on the developer medium which should be white is not made white but has a slight shade of color. This is because a color is developed, even if slightly, in such an area on the developer medium which should be white.